Abstract

Urban design and sustainability are critical issues in
creating better urban environments. The UK government
is endorsing sustainability through its sustainable communities agenda and is urging the public, private and third
sectors to emphasise high quality design in their urban
development projects. However, with little guidance as to
how to design sustainable urban development projects,
decision-makers may end up wasting time, money and
resources in projects that are unsustainable for themselves, the community and beyond. One option for
decision-makers is loosely to follow a generic process for
urban design that demonstrates, by way of a series of
stages and activities, when to make decisions and to
consider sustainability, what tools are needed to make
decisions and who should be making decisions. To further
the understanding of the use of a process in sustainable
urban design decision-making, a baseline model was first
created that amalgamates stages and activities from
relevant processes found in a variety of disciplines and
professions. A case study was then conducted, showing
the process for the urban design and development of
Brewhouse Yard, Clerkenwell, London. Through analysis
of interviews, archival material and site analysis, three
distinct periods of the process were discerned. These
periods are discussed by way of process stages, decisions,
tools and sustainability. The paper then compares this
process with the baseline process to understand how the
former can help improve the latter as a tool for assisting
decision-makers in creating more sustainable urban
environments.